Heel brace



Mar. 13, 1923.

B. SHORTRIDGE. HEEL BRACE- man APR-1831918.

gvwamtoz Patented Mar. 13, l23l UNETEE STATES earner entice.

BUGLE SEORTBIDGE, OF GIBIUNDY, VIRGINIA.

HEEL BRACE.

Application filed April 18, 1919. Serial No. 290,920.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BOGLE SHORTRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grundy, in the county of Buchanan, State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Heel Brace; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to heel braces and has for its object to provide a brace for the heel of a shoe, wherein the heel of the upper of the shoe will be maintained in its proper relation to the heel when the shoe is in use.

A further object is to provide a heel brace formed from a single piece of metal, one portion of which being formed to form a heel plate whereby the heel will be prevented from wearing, an upstanding integral portion connected to the heel plate and to provide said upstanding portion with arms adapted to engage the sides of the heel of the upper of the shoe, whereby the same will be maintained in proper relation to the heel of the shoe and prevented from spreading to either side.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

n the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective View of the heel of a shoe, showing the brace applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the heel brace detached from the shoe.

Fi ure 3 is a plan view of a blank from wh ch the brace is formed.

P' erring to the drawings the numeral 1 designates a shoe and 2 the heel of the up per of he shoe. The shoe is provided with a conventional form of heel 3. Secured to the bottom of the heel 3 is a heel plate 4, which may have its body portion cut out as indicated at 5 so that the weight thereof may be considerably reduced. Extending vertically upwardly from the heel plate is an integral member 5, the upper end of which is provided with curved arms 6 which engage the sides of the heel 2 of the upper. These arms 6 conform to the curvature of the heel 2 of the upper and prevent the heel of the upper from being bent to one side or the other when the shoe is in use. The bending of the upper 01 the shoe is common where there is a defect in walking of the user of the shoe.

Referring to Figure 3 in which the blank from which the brace is formed is shown, it will be seen that these blanks can be stamped out of a single piece of sheet metal, then bent upwardly as at 7 and the arms 6 bent so as to conform to various types of heels of uppers. After which the brace as a whole may be hardened so as to be stiff enough to brace the heel of the upper.

It will be noted that a heel brace is provided wherein the brace forms a heel plate and also a brace for the heel of the upper. The plate will prevent the rapid wearing to the heel 3 on either side. This wearing as a rule where the ankle of the user is weak starts the bending of the heel of the upper in relation to the heel of the shoe.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is A combined heel plate and heel brace formed from a single piece of metal, comprising a portion adapted to register with the heel of a shoe and form a heel plate and having its rear portion rounded and adapted to register with the rear side of a shoe heel, an integral upstanding member extending upwardly from the rounded portion of the heel plate and centrally thereof and adapted to engage the rear side of a shoe heel, and oppositely outwardly and forwardly extending arms carried by the upper end of said upstanding arm and engaging the sides of the upper of a shoe and having their ends free, said oppositely extending arm being right angularly disposed in relation to the upwardly extending arm and formed integrally therewith.

In testimonywvhereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 4

BOGLE SHORTRIDGE.

Witnesses:

PERCY V. DENNIS, Annm Boss. 

